6
UDanyeli Emgodini Wezilwane
1 UDariyu wathanda ukubeka ababusi bezigaba abalikhulu lamatshumi amabili (120) ukuba babuse kulolonke ilizwe, 2 wabeka omongameli abathathu phezu kwabo, omunye wabo enguDanyeli. Ababusi bezigaba babesethula kubo konke ukuze inkosi ingalahlekelwa lutho. 3 UDanyeli waba yisilomo, wedlula abanye omongameli lababusi bezigaba ngokwenza kwakhe, inkosi yaze yafisa ukumbeka phezu kwelizwe lonke. 4 Ngenxa yalokho omongameli lababusi bezigaba badinga amabhada okumangalela uDanyeli ngendlela ayeqhuba ngayo kwezombuso, kodwa behluleka. Kabafumananga kungcola kuye ngoba wayethembekile futhi engasihaga lemali njalo engayekethisi lutho. 5 Ekucineni amadoda la athi, “Kasisoze safa salizuza izaba lokwethesa indoda le uDanyeli icala ngaphandle kwalokho okuphathelene lomthetho kaNkulunkulu wakhe.”
6 Ngakho omongameli lababusi bezigaba baya enkosini belixuku bafika bathi: “Oh nkosi Dariyu, mana njalo! 7 Omongameli besikhosini, labalisa, lababusi bezigaba, labeluleki lababusi bemikhono yelizwe bonke sebevumelene ukuthi inkosi kayikhuphe isimemezelo iwugcizelele umlayo othi noma ngubani okhuleka kuwuphi uNkulunkulu noma umuntu phakathi kwalezi insuku ezingamatshumi amathathu, ngaphandle kokukhuleka kuwe wena, Oh nkosi, uzaphoselwa emgodini wezilwane. 8 Manje, Oh nkosi, sikhuphe lesosimemezelo sibhalwe phansi ukuze singaguqulwa njengoba kunjalo ngemithetho yamaMede lamaPhezhiya engaguqulwayo.” 9 Ngakho inkosi uDariyu yawubhala phansi lowomthetho.
10 Kwathi uDanyeli esezwile ukuthi umthetho wawusukhutshiwe, waya ekhaya endlini yakhe ephezulu esitezi eyayilamawindi avulwe akhangela eJerusalema. Kathathu ngelanga wayezilahla phansi ngamadolo akhuleke, ebonga uNkulunkulu wakhe, njengalokho ayevele ekwenza mandulo. 11 Kwasekusithi amadoda la aqhubana elixuku afica uDanyeli ekhuleka ecela usizo kuNkulunkulu. 12 Asesiya enkosini ayakhuluma layo ngomthetho owaphuma esigodlweni, athi: “Kawukhuphanga isimemezelo yini sokuthi ngezinsuku ezilandelayo ezingamatshumi amathathu noma ngubani okhuleka komunye unkulunkulu noma umuntu ngaphandle kokukhuleka kuwe, Oh nkosi, uzaphoselwa emgodini wezilwane?”
Inkosi yaphendula yathi, “Lowomthetho umi njengemithetho yamaMede lamaPhezhiya, engeke iguqulwe.”
13 Asesithi enkosini, “UDanyeli, ongomunye wabathunjwa bakoJuda, kakunanzi, wena nkosi, kanye lomthetho owawubhala phansi. Ulokhu ekhuleka kathathu ngelanga.” 14 Kwathi inkosi isikuzwile lokho yakhathazeka kakhulu; yayizimisele ukukhulula uDanyeli, yenza yonke imizamo yokumsiza ilanga laze layatshona.
15 Amadoda lawo asehamba elixuku aya enkosini athi kuyo, “Khumbula, Oh nkosi, ukuthi ngomthetho wamaMede lamaPhezhiya kakulasimemezelo loba isimiso esikhutshwe yinkosi esingaguqulwa.”
16 Ngakho inkosi yasikhupha umlayo, basebemletha uDanyeli bamphosela emphandwini wezilwane. Inkosi yathi kuDanyeli, “Sengathi uNkulunkulu wakho omkhonzayo njalonjalo angakuhlenga!”
17 Kwalethwa ilitshe lafakwa emnyango womgodi, inkosi yasilinameka ngendandatho yayo yobukhosi langezindandatho zezikhulu zayo, ukuze umumo kaDanyeli ungaguqulwa. 18 Yikho inkosi yase ibuyela esigodlweni sayo yazila ukudla lokunatha ubusuku bonke. Yehluleka ukulala.
19 Kwathi emadabukakusa inkosi yavuka yaya emgodini wezilwane. 20 Ithe isifikile emgodini, yamemeza uDanyeli ngelizwi losizi yathi, “Danyeli, nceku kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, uNkulunkulu wakho omkhonza njalonjalo ukuphephisile yini ezilwaneni?”
21 UDanyeli waphendula wathi, “Oh nkosi, mana njalo! 22 UNkulunkulu wami uthume ingilosi yakhe yayivala imilomo yezilwane. Kazingilimazanga ngoba ngifunyanwe ngingelacala phambi kwakhe. Njalo kangikaze ngenze okubi kuwe, Oh nkosi.”
23 Inkosi yathaba yafa yakhupha umlayo wokuba uDanyeli akhutshulwe emgodini lowo. UDanyeli esekhutshiwe emgodini, kakubonakalanga nxeba kuye, ngoba wathemba kuNkulunkulu wakhe.
24 Inkosi yalaya ukuthi balethwe labo ababemangalele uDanyeli ngamanga baphoselwa emgodini wezilwane kanye labafazi babo labantwababo. Bathi bengakathinti phansi emgodini izilwane zabaqaga zabafohloza wonke amathambo abo.
25 Inkosi uDariyu yasilobela bonke abantu, lezizwe zonke lenhlanga zendimi zonke kulolonke ilizwe yathi:
“Sengathi impilo enhle inganda kini!
26 Ngimisa isimiso sokuthi kuzozonke izindawo zombuso wami, abantu kabesabe, bakhonze uNkulunkulu kaDanyeli.
Ngoba unguNkulunkulu ophilayo,
omiyo kuze kube phakade;
umbuso wakhe kawuyikubhidlizwa,
lobukhosi bakhe kabusoze buphele.
27 Uyakhulula, asindise;
wenza izibonakaliso lezimangaliso
emazulwini lasemhlabeni.
Umhlangulile uDanyeli
emandleni ezilwane.”
28 Ngakho uDanyeli waphumelela ngesikhathi sokubusa kukaDariyu lesokubusa kukaKhurosi umPhezhiya.